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This is due to the presence of material variations within the Earth which affect the speed with which the waves travel (specifically the density and elastic moduli of the material). When the wave crosses the boundary between two differing materials at any other angle than 90 degrees, the path that the wave travels will alter. This process is known as refraction.
The earth is highly heterogeneous. This means that it's properties are very variable in all directions. However there are some broad trends. This includes a trend of increasing density with depth. As increases in density cause increases in the velocity of seismic waves, this also causes refraction to occur altering the direction the wave travels. As this variation is gradual the change in the path of the wave is gradual and so ultimately the wave follows a curved path made up of lots of small changes in it's direction of travel as the density and other properties vary.
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What else can I help you with?
What are the two descriptive words for P in P Waves and the S in Swaves?
For P waves, the two descriptive words are Primary (or compressional) waves, while for S waves, the two words are Secondary (or shear) waves.
What are waves that arrive after primary waves?
Secondary waves, also known as S-waves, are seismic waves that arrive after primary waves (P-waves) during an earthquake. They are slower than P-waves and travel through the Earth by causing particles to move in a perpendicular motion to the direction of wave propagation.
How does energy travel during earthquakes?
There are three types of vibrations:- Primary waves, Secondary waves and long waves. Primary waves can move through solid and liquid. Secondary waves move through only solids and long waves can only move along the surface of the earth's crust.
Which seismic wave does more damage primary wave secondary wave or surface wave?
Surface waves typically cause more damage than primary or secondary waves during an earthquake. They travel along the earth's surface and are responsible for the shaking that can result in building collapse and other structural damage. Primary and secondary waves, while important for seismologists to study, usually do not cause as much damage as surface waves.
What happens to the time difference between primary and secondary wave as the distance traveled gets longer?
As the distance traveled by the primary and secondary waves increases, the time difference between them also increases. This is because primary waves travel faster through the Earth than secondary waves, resulting in a greater time gap between their arrivals at a given location.
Are the primary waves faster then the secondary waves?
Primary seismic waves travel the fastest.
What are the waves that arrive after primary waves in the Earth?
Secondary waves.
What waves are there for earthquakes?
Primary waves, Secondary waves, and Seismic waves
What type of waves are genered by earthquakes?
Primary Waves, Secondary Waves, and Surface Waves.
What types of waves are in an earthquake?
P waves (primary waves) and S waves (secondary waves).
What wave do earthquakes make?
Seismic waves Types: Primary waves Secondary waves Surface waves
Why are earthquake waves called primary secondary and surface?
Primary and secondary refer to the order in which they come out, surface waves are called surface because they resonate close to the surface
What are the two descriptive words for P in P Waves and the S in Swaves?
For P waves, the two descriptive words are Primary (or compressional) waves, while for S waves, the two words are Secondary (or shear) waves.
What are the different types of earthquakes waves?
The three types of earthquake waves are primary waves, surface waves, and secondary waves.
What does secondary waves and primary waves tell geologist?
how far away you are from the focus of an earthquake
Waves from an earthquake are know as these?
P or primary wave, S or secondary waves, L as in something waves
Waves from earthquakes are know as these?
P or primary wave, S or secondary waves, L as in something waves
